Device for testing water tubes of boilers



Nov. 23,1926. 1,608,093

, G. E. FETZER .DEVICE FO TESTING WATER TUBES OF BOILERS Filed July lO, 1925 /NvE/v roe E. FErzE/e .y tested.

Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UaiTEn STATES GEORGE E. FETZER, OF STLOUIS, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR TESTING WATER TUBES OF IBOILERS.

Application filed July 10,

1925. Serial No. 42,855.

This invention rerates generally Ato iin-the cooperating sections of one of the caps provements iny devices for testing water tubes of boilers and )articula-rl to an 1mproved means whereby the water tubes of a multitube boiler may be individually tested for lealis.

Prior to this invention when it was desired to test the water tubes of the boiler 1-.or leaks it was necessary to fill all of the tubes, together with the headers of the boiler, with water. In this way the leaking tube could be located as the water within said leaking tube would escape therefrom, thus 'providing v'isible indication of the leak. rihis method was a time-consuming and eX- pensive one, and I have therefore devisedrthe ar v iigement disclosed in the present application which comprises means wherebythe er tubes of a boiler may be individually In accordance with my inventiononly the particular tube or tubes which are thought to be leaking are lled with water thus providing for a great saving in time and expense incident to the testing of the tubes.

My invention is of particular importance when a new tube has been. placed in a boiler, and it is desired to learn whether or not said tube is watertight. In lthis event water is placed only in the new tube, thus avoiding the necessity of consuming considerable time and water in filling the entire group of tubes as well as the headers with water.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangementl of parts hereinafter more specilically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment ot the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. I is a fragmentary section through. the headers and a water tube of a boiler,y showing a pair of my improved devices sealing` the opposite ends of said water tube.

Fig. II is a cross section on line IIfII, of Fig. I. Fig. III is a crosssection on lineIII-. III of Fig. I. .f .m I ,Y Fig. IV is a cross section on line IIT-IV of Fig.

Fiss ,VQ and.. YI illustratefin :ralf-,Sentire of my improved device.

In the drawings, A designates a fragment ot a well lrnown type of steam boiler comprising box headers B arranged in communication with each other through the inedium of water tubes, only one of which is shown in Fig. I, said water tube being designated by the reference charac-ter C. The opposite ends of the `water tube C are eX- '.ended through openings C in the inner walls ot the headers B and are ixed to said inner walls of said headers in the usual manner .to provide a watertight joint between said headers and said water tube. D designates handholes in the outer walls of the headers B, said handholes being in longitu dinal alinement with the tube() so that access may be had to saidtube for'the purpose of cleaning same andalsoso that said tube may beremoved and replaced by a new tube when necessary. K'

By referring to Fig. I of the drawings, it willbe seen that one ot my improved tube sealing` devices is arranged at each end of the tube to be test-ed, each of said devices in- Y cluding a cap portion l which is adapted to enclosean end of the tube C. The cap por.- tion 1 of my improved device is consider.- ably larger in diameter than the tube yC and the handholes D, as shown in Fig. I, and as it is necessary to `pass saidca-p portion l through one of' said handholes into the header when said cap portion is being ap plied to a tube, it is obvious that some means must be provided to temporary reduce the diameter of said cap portion. In view ot the foregoing, I have formed the cap portion l of my improved device ot two cooperating parts2 and 3, each of which is of a size that will readily pass through one of the handholes D, said sections of said cap'portion being assembled after theyhave been passed through the handholes and are within the header in which they are to be arranged.

A By referring to Figs. V and VI, it will be notedv that except for the collar portions forming parts of the cap sections 2 and 3, whichv collar portions will be referred to later,'the sections 2 and 3 are each in the approximate shape of a half-circle, said sections being provided with iat faces 4 which contact with each other when the sections 2 and 3 are assembled. The sections 2 and- 3f are each provided'with a curved Vmarginal also because said gasket is made in one piece it will prevent ya. leakage of water between the cap sections 2 and 3 of the cap.

In the use of my improved water tube sealing device, the water being drained from the boiler, the closure member (not shown) associated with the handhole. which is in alinement with the tube to be tested is removed. Also closure members associatedV with tliehandholes are removed so that the operator may reach into the interior of the header to assemble the device, as will be described. The separated cap sections 2 and 3 are now passed through one the handlioles D and the operator, having his arms extended through hand-` hol-es adjacent to the handhole in alinement with the tube to be tested, assembles Ysaid cap sections. After the cap sections have been assembled as described, fthe hollow water conductor which, has been extendedy through the handhole in alinement with the tube to be 'tested is connected to said cap sections by screwing the threaded end thereot intothe threaded "opening in the collar portion of the cap section 2 and causing the nut 14.-V to* abut against the collar portion of the cap section 3. The member 15 fis then passed through a handhole into the header, and said member 15 is movedlaterally with respect to the water conductor 9 so that fsaid water conductor is passed through the opening into the enlarge-d circular portion thereoic at the center kof said member'l. After the member 15 is arrangedfinplace as described, the forward reduced portion of the tubular member 17 Vispassed throughl the enlarged circular portion of the vopening' 16 in the member 15, and the threads 19 on the enlarged portion 18 or" sai-d tubular member are caused to engage the screw threads wit-hin the enlarged circular portion of the opening 16, after which said tubular member is caused to move longitudinally by being rotated until its forward end abuts against the nut 14. As already described, the action of screwing the tubular member 17 inwardly as far as it will go will force the sealing cap into firm contact with the inner face of the inner wall of the header, whereby a fluid-tight oint will be obtained.

After the sealing device provided with the tubular water conductor 9 has been arranged in place as described at one end of the water tube C a similar device is arranged at the opposite end of said tube, the last mentioned device being identical with the first mentioned device, except that instead of a hollow water conductor being employed a solid rod 9 is used, whereby the water is prevented rom passing from the tube C through the sealing device provided with said solid rod 9. Because the last mentioned sealing device is a duplicate of the first mentioned sealing device with the one ranged in place at the opposite ends or the 'f' tube -C,'a suitable'water connection (not shown) is attached to the outer end of the water conductor 9 and water is caused to pass through said'water conductor into the tube C, thus providing for the 'testing or' said tube. f Y I claim: v l. In a testing device for boilers-having handholes alined with tubes, a sealing member adapted to'closejone end of a tube, a fluid conductor extending from said sealing memberfto provide for the delivery of fluid to the interior of the boiler tube, a bridge adapted to extend across one of the handholes so as to lie opposite said sealing member, said bridge being narrow enough to pass through thehandhole and lie within the boiler, said bridge having a recess in one oi? its edges Vto'receive said fluid conductor,

vand a tube extending through said recess to force the sealing member onto its seat, the iiuid conductor being surrounded by the last mentioned tube.

Q; In a sealing device for boilers, a sealingmember` in the -rorm of a cap having a tlange adaptedv to surround an endy of a kboiler tube', said cap being made of separable segmental parts adapted-to pass through a handholeof the boiler, an inner tube connecting said segmental parts,^a gasket coveringthe meeting edges ot said part-s, a bridge adapted to'. extend across a'boiler handhole, said bridge having an open-ing through which said inner tube extends, and an outer tube extending through said opening to force said capto its sealing position.

3. In a sealing device of the character described, a sealing member in the form of a cap made of separable segments having meetingl edges and provided with overlapping extensions at the central portion of the cap, an inner tube screwed into one of said extensions and having an abutment engaging the other extension to unite said separable segments, a gasket covering the meeting edges or said segments and extending over the peripheral edge of thev cap formed by said segments, a bridge member having a recess in one of its edges to receive said inner tube and an enlarged threaded opening communicating with said recess, and an outer tube screwed into said threaded opening andl engaging said abutment.

4. In a device for making leakage tests at the junction of a boiler wall and the end or squarely against the inner or bottom Wall of the said Socket. rhe operator then uses a hammer7 striking the outer plug in the direction of the length of the axle whereby the Wheel is jarred loose from the a-Xle and Jche key thereof and may be quickly removed.

Having described the invention what is claimed is- A device adapted to be used for removing' a Wheel from un axle upon which it is keyed comprising a body provided at its opposite ends with ulined Sockets of different sizes, `fand anvil plugs itting in the sockets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CASH A. CLEMONS. 

